A police inspector who appeared in the Tshilwavhusiku Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on a murder charge, attacked Mirror's reporter and threw his camera on the court room floor, shortly after the case was adjourned. It happened in view of two policemen.

Insp TC Ramabulana (40), who is attached to the crime prevention section at the Tshilwavhusiku SAPS, was arrested after he had allegedly shot and killed a 15-year-old boy, Ndivhuwo Maeba, from Tshikwarani village. The boy was returning from a local tavern in the early hours of Sunday, 11 December, 2005 when he was shot.

According to the police statement, it is claimed that Ramabulana found the deceased with a group of other boys quarrelling with his daughter and ordered them to leave his teenage daughter alone, before he fired “warning shots”. One bullet hit the deceased in the head and he died instantly.

The friends of the deceased, however, deny quarrelling with the inspector's daughter. They claim that while they were at the shebeen, Ramabulana's younger brother gave the girl unwanted attention by allegedly passing off the teenage girl to his friend who was buying him liquor. The boys then decided to leave and to take her home safely, but Ramabulana's brother followed them and informed his elder brother by cellphone that there was a big fight at the tavern over his daughter.

Close to the girl's home, her father arrived with his car and instructed her to go into the house, while he held a short discussion with his younger brother. The group of boys remained standing some distance away, waiting for Ramabulana to come and discuss the matter with them. They heard the car's engine and saw the lights directed towards them and all of a sudden, according to the boys, Ramabulana started shooting at them for no reason at all. They further claim that he had fired about eight shots in their direction after which they all ran away, but in different directions. The boys claim to have also seen Ramabulana and his younger brother pick up the deceased and put him into the inspector’s car.

When Ramabulana was arrested, his service pistol was also confiscated. He was granted bail of R3 000 during his first appearance in Tshilwavhusiku on December 14.

On Wednesday his bail was extended when the same court postponed his murder case to February 28, for further investigations.

A family member of the deceased, who attended the court, Mr Lamson Maeba, thanked Mirror for keeping them informed about the court date as the police are not informing them.

Grabbing the camera

Immediately after his case was postponed, magistrate RE Nemushungwa adjourned the court. According to Mirror’s journalist, Nthambeleni Gabara, he quickly went outside the courtroom to wait for Ramabulana. “Once he saw me next to the court room’s door, he returned to the court room. When I wanted to get inside, he closed the door, but I managed to get inside. As the camera was on and I had my finger on the button, he came running, asking me what I was trying to do and telling me that he would break my camera. Suddenly, he grabbed the camera and we struggled until he managed to take it from me. When he had taken it, he threw it down. Fortunately, it first fell on top of the chair just behind the witness box, before it fell onto the court room floor.”

According to Gabara, all this happened in view of two policemen. “The one I know as Ramadi. Other community members were also present at the court.”

The police spokesperson in the Vhembe area, Supt Ailwei Mushavhanamadi, said that Ramabulana's reactions indicate a lack of professionalism and the area office will always continue condemning such unbecoming behaviour. Mushavhanamadi confirmed that Ramabulana was still reporting for work, claiming that the inspector will soon receive a suspension letter.